Gene for increasing plant biomass and use therefor

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to identify a novel gene that effectively increases plant biomass and to provide said gene as well as techniques utilizing the same.This invention provides a nucleic acid encoding a protein, wherein the protein comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 and an amino acid sequence having at least 25% identity or at least 75% similarity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:7 or 11, and has an activity to increase plant biomass, as well as techniques utilizing the same.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A genetically modified transgenic plant comprising a recombinant expression construct which overexpresses a recombinant nucleic acid encoding a protein in said genetically modified transgenic plant, wherein the protein comprises a region comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, wherein said recombinant nucleic acid is operably linked to a heterologous promoter, wherein the protein is a hydroxyproline-rich glycoprotein and has at least 95% amino acid sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 13, and wherein the overexpression of the recombinant nucleic acid encoding the protein results in an increase in plant biomass in said genetically modified transgenic plant as compared to a control plant of the same species lacking said recombinant expression construct. 
     
     
       2. The genetically modified transgenic plant according to  claim 1 , wherein the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 is set forth in the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2. 
     
     
       3. The genetically modified transgenic plant according to  claim 1 , wherein the recombinant nucleic acid is obtained from a monocotyledonous plant or a dicotyledonous plant, and wherein the genetically modified transgenic plant is a monocotyledonous plant. 
     
     
       4. A method for increasing plant biomass, comprising the step of transforming a plant with a recombinant expression construct which overexpresses a recombinant nucleic acid encoding a protein into said transformed plant, wherein the protein comprises a region comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, wherein said recombinant nucleic acid is operably linked to a heterologous promoter, wherein the protein is a hydroxyproline-rich glycoprotein and has at least 95% amino acid sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 13, and wherein the overexpression of the recombinant nucleic acid encoding the protein results in an increase in plant biomass in said transformed plant as compared to a control plant of the same species lacking said recombinant expression construct. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 4  wherein the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 is set forth in the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the recombinant nucleic acid is obtained from a monocotyledonous plant or a dicotyledonous plant, and wherein the transformed plant is a monocotyledonous plant. 
     
     
       7. A recombinant expression construct comprising a recombinant nucleic acid encoding a protein and a heterologous promoter operably linked to the recombinant nucleic acid, wherein the protein comprises a region comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, wherein the protein is a hydroxyproline-rich glycoprotein and has at least 95% amino acid sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 13, and wherein the overexpression of the recombinant nucleic acid encoding the protein results in an increase in plant biomass in a plant transformed with said recombinant expression construct as compared to a control plant of the same species lacking said recombinant expression construct. 
     
     
       8. The recombinant expression construct according to  claim 7 , wherein the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 is set forth in the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2. 
     
     
       9. A recombinant expression vector comprising the recombinant construct of  claim 7 . 
     
     
       10. A transgenic host cell comprising the recombinant expression vector of  claim 9 . 
     
     
       11. A transgenic plant cell comprising the recombinant expression vector of  claim 9 . 
     
     
       12. The transgenic plant cell according to  claim 11 , wherein the recombinant nucleic acid is obtained from a monocotyledonous plant or a dicotyledonous plant, and wherein the transgenic plant cell is a monocotyledonous plant cell. 
     
     
       13. The genetically modified transgenic plant of  claim 1 , wherein said protein has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 13.